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Thursday, 28 January 2016

More than likely, even before you have made arrangements for your estate agents to visit and pitch for your business, you have formed a pretty fair idea of who you will use. Internet presence and reviews, nearby sold boards, newspaper advertising and perhaps a visit to the office to meet the people in whom you will be investing considerable trust, are all good first steps.

I would suggest that you go much further though.

The best agent will make a complex plan a simple one! He will listen, but his recommendations will be an unbiased fact based opinion given his expert knowledge of nearby sales and actual comparable evidence. He will advise how best to present the home through images and the written word. He will have a thorough knowledge of the compliance that will govern what he can and can’t say. His terms of business will be clear and uncomplicated with no catches, hidden costs or small print to trip the unwary. You will have a ‘cooling off period’ and your agent should ideally belong to a professional body such as the NAEA or RICS (or both).

My advice is not just to hear what you expect to hear. If you do your homework, your experience will be all the better for it.